Machine for mixing



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. T. AYRES.

MACHINE-FOR MIXING, WEIGHING,;AND PACKING FLOUR, &c. No. 518,088; P'atentedAp-r. v10,1894.

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s. T. AYR -ES. MACHINE FOR MIXING, WEIGHING, AND PACKING- FLOUR, &0. No. 518,088. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

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S.-T.AYRES. MACHINE FOR MIXING, WEIGHING, AND PAGKING FLOUR, &o. No. 518,088. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

I INVENTOH UL'UL t I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAXTON TICE AYRES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR MIXING,WEIGH|NG,AND PACKING FLOUR, 8w.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 518,088, dated April 10,1894.

Application filed June 10, 1893.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAXTON TICE AYRES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and countyof Philadelphia, Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Blending or Mixing, Weighing, and Packing Flour, &c., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for blending, weighing, and packing flour, coffee, tea, spices, 850., and consists of mechanism as hereinafter described and claimed whereby certain articles may be mixed or blended, weighed and packed in bags, boxes or any suitable receptacle, and means for automatically stopping the feeding of the article to be packed, when the desired weight of the same has been attained.

It further consists of the combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Figures 1 and 2 respectively represent elevations of opposite ends of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 3 represents a partial side elevation and partial vertical section of the machine, certain parts being in different positions from those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section of a portion of the machine on line so, at, Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 5%, and 6 represent perspective views of detached portions of the machine. Fig. 7 represents a partial side elevation and partial vertical section of a detached portion of the machine. partial side elevation and partial vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 7, but in different positions. Fig. 9 represents a side elevation of a detached portion. Figs. 10 and 11 represent perspective views of detached portions. Fig. 12 represents a side elevation of one section of the spiral conveyor, on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings: A designates the frame of the machine, consisting of the end portions B and G, the two being connected by braces, or in any suitable manner.

In the upper portion of the frame A is secured a hopper D, and outside of the end portion 0 of the frame A, adjacent to the hopper D, is secured a chute E, provided with a lid Fig. 8 represents a Serial No. 477,246. (No model.)

F. The end portion 0 of the frame A, is formed with an opening Gr, thereby providing a communication between the hopper D and chute E, so that the material placed in the hopper D passes through said opening G and enters the chute E.

Mounted on the end portion B of the frame A, and on a suitable part of the chute E, is a shaft H, which carries a spiral conveyer J. The latter, as will be seen, is formed in sections, and each section consists of a flight K, which is-connected at or near its center by an arm L to a hub M, the latter being provided with a clamping screw N, to firmly hold a section of the conveyor on the shaft H, the conveyor as will be seen, occupying the bottom of the hopper D. Each flight K is so pitched, relatively to an arm L, that when the conveyor rotates in the direction of the arrows at in Fig. 12, the flight K will cause the material in the hopper D, and with which it comes in contact, to travel in the direction of the arrow 1), while the arm L which is twisted in the opposite direction from the pitchof the flight, will cause the material with which it comes in contact to travel in the direction of the arrow 0, it being evident that by this means the material placed in the hopper D will be thoroughly mixed or blended by the rotation of the conveyor J, and the material in the path of the flight K adjacent to the opening G will be forced by said flight through the opening G into the chute E.

Secured to the shaft H is an arm P, which engages with the back of a brush Q loosely mounted on said shaft. The bristles of said brush Q work against a sieve R placed in a branch of the chute E, and on a line with a conveyor J, it being seen that the brush Q assists the flight K, which is adjacent to the sieve R, in forcing the material in the hopper through said sieve.

Secured to the shaft H is a wiper S, which works against the outer face of the sieve R, and assists to remove from the latter the material forced through the same by the brush Q and flight K, and to furthermore blend the materials that pass through the sieve R, as will be seen in Fig. 3, occupying a position between the brush Q and the wiper S.

Mounted on the shaft H are heads T and U, and the power wheel V, said wheel V and c said head U being loosely mounted on the shaft H, and are free to move laterally on the same. The head T is secured in any suitable manner to the shaft H, and is formed with recesses WV and a lug X, the recesses W being adapted to receive the inclined lugs Y on the headU, and the lug X to enter an opening Z in the head U, and project beyond the same sufficiently to come in the path of a spoke A of the wheel V, see Figs. 2, 3 and 7, so that when said wheel is rotated, it will impart motion to the head T, and consequently to the shaft H. The lugs Y which enter the recesses WV pro ject beyond the same, so that at certain times the inclined shoes B of the levers C mounted on the end B of the frame A, are caused by means hereinafter described, to come in the path of the faces of the inclined lugs Y,

and thereby throw the head U, and consequently the wheel V against which it bears, to the right, so that the spoke A of the wheel V, which was in contact with the lug X, will no longer bear against the same, and thereby cease to impart motion to the shaft H, although the wheel V may continue to rotate. Mounted on the frame A, below the hopper D, is a beam D whose end adjacent to the wheel V carries the levers L, provided with lateral extensions M, which rest on a saddle E secured to the end portion B of the frame .A, and which in connection with said levers L and the levers O automatically stop the feeding of the material from the hopper D at the proper time. Each extension M is formed with a lug N, which occupies a position between the end B of the frame A, and the lever 0, and works against inclined shoulders 'n on the saddle E, said inclined shoulders permitting the upper limbs of the levers L to approach each other, when the end of the beam D adjacent to the wheel V is raised, for a purpose hereinafter described. The opposite end of the beam D is provided with a yoke F, in which is fitted a cylinder G open at top and bottom, and provided with means as hereinafter described for securing a bag A shown in dotted lines, to the same, and which receives the material as supplied from the hopper D through the chute E. The beam D is connected by a hanger or link H with ascale beam 11, the object of which is to automatically stop the feeding of the material in the hopper, when the bag A has received the desired quantity of the same.

Guided in the lower portion of the end 0 of the frame A is a rising and falling rack J, operated by a pedal J mounted on said frame, and provided with a bracket K adapted to be vertically adjusted relatively to the size of a bag A as hereinafter described.

Pivoted on opposite sides of the cylinder G are levers Q, to whose lower ends are secured the clamps R adapted to clamp the bag A on said cylinder. The upper ends of said levers are connected by toggle levers S, one member of each of the latter being joinedby the cross piece T, provided with a handle U for operating the same so as to either clamp a bag on, or release one from the cylinder G, as the case may be.

Toone limb of the yoke F is secured a studF the opposite end of said yoke being provided with an opening G ,receivinga pin H formed with a crank handle h, which rests in a keeper K on the yoke F adjacent to the opening G and which retains said pin I-l in position on said yoke when the same has been inserted in said opening, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. the stud I and pin H forming bearings for the cylinder G, which latteris provided with sockets V, adapted to receive such stud and pin, thereby providing means for suspending the cylinder G from the beam D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9.

The operation is as follows: The material to be weighed and packed, (assuming the same in the present case to be flour,) is placed in the hopper D, and the weight h of the scale beam H located in a notch in said beam, corresponding to the weight of Hour to be packed in a bag A this will cause the free end of the scale beam to lower, and owing to the hanger IF, the end of the beam D, from which the cylinder is suspended rises, and its upward motion is limited by a stop m on the frame A. The handle U of the device for clamping the bag A to the cylinder G, when in its normal position, is raised, as shown in Fig. 9, causing a space to exist between the clamps R, and the periphery of the cylinder G, and into this space is placed the open end of the bag A as shown in dotted lines in said figure, and also in Fig. 4E. The handle U is then lowered,thus causing the clamps R to press the end of the bag against the periphery of the cylinder G,and thereby firmly retain it on said cylinder. The power wheel V is then rotated and pushed against the head U, whereby the lug X protrudes through the opening Z, so as to be engaged by the spoke A, see Fig. 7, thus causing the head T, and consequently the shaft H to revolve. The shaft H carries with it the conveyer J, the flights K of thelatter causing the flour in the hopper D to move in the direction of the arrows I), see Figs. 3 and 12, while the arms L of the conveyer cause said material to move in the reverse direction, as indicated by arrows c, and by this means, when different kinds of flour are placed in the hopper D, the same will be thoroughly blended or mixed together before reaching the flight of the conveyer adjacent to the sieve R, and which with the assistance of the brush Q and wiper S, cause the flour to pass from said hopper D, through the sieve E into the chute E, from thence into the bag which lowers when the predetermined weight of flour in the same has been attained, the bag in lowering carrying with it the cylinder G, and consequently the end of the beam D, from which the same is suspended. This causes the opposite end of the beam D to rise, the same carrying with ICO it the pivoted levers L, the lug N of each of said levers riding on the inclined shoulders n of the saddle E, and their upper limbs eonsequently approaching each other, permit the levers O which rest against the lugs l to likewise approach each other, and thus bring the shoes B thereon in the path of the inclined lugs Y on the head U, and the latter in revolving will, owing to said shoes Band lugs Y contacting with each other, move the head U, in the present case to the right, as shown in Fig. 8, and as said head bears against the wheel V, the latter will also be moved to the right, so that its spoke A which was in contact with the lug X, will no longer be in the path of the same, and thus the revolving of the wheel V will not affect said lug. The head T and shaft H cease to rotate, and thus the conveyer J is automatically stopped, and the feeding of flour to the bag ceases. The treadle J X is now depressed, thereby raising its opposite end, and consequently the rack J connected therewith so as to bring the bracket K thereon in contact with the lower end of the bag suspended from the cylinder G, after which the handle U of the clamping device on the cylinder G is raised, thereby removing the clamps R from said cylinder, as shown in Fig. 9, and releasing the bag from the same. The bag formerly sustained by the cylinder G is now supported on the bracket K, which when lowered when the treadle is let-go, carries the bag with it, whereby said bag may be readily removed.

Bags of different sizes may be used, it being evident that the smaller the bag, the smaller the opening therein, and as it is essentialthat the cylinder G should at all times be of the same diameter at the top so that it may be suspended from the yoke F, no change is made in this portion of a cylinder. Nevertheless, in order to permit bags of small size to be suspended from the cylinder, the.

lower portion of the latter, in some cases, is reduced in diameter, as shown in dotted lines to the left of Fig. 9.

When paper bags are used, a bead P on the bottom of a cylinder G forms a crease in the throat of the bag, and facilitates the folding and tying of the bag at this point.

; If desired, the sections of the conveyer may be so placed on the shaft H, that their ends will come in contact with each other, thereby dispensing with the space existing between each section, when mounted on the shaft, as

shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for mixing, weighing and packing flour a hopper with a rotatable shaft therein, in combination with a conveyer consisting of hubs with arms and spiral flights, said hubs being removably secured on said shaft, and each of said arms being twisted in an opposite direction from the spirals, thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for mixing, weighing and packing flour, a shaft a conveyer consisting of sections, each having a hub with a twisted arm and a spiral flight, said hub being adapted to be secured on said shaft and said arm being twisted in opposite direction from said flight, said parts being combined substantially as described.

3. In a machine for mixing, weighing and packing flour, a frame, a hopper thereon, a conveyer in said hopper, a chute in communication with said hopper, a sieve between said hopperand chute, a brush freely mounted on said conveyer shaft, and bearing against said sieve, and an arm secured on said shaft and bearing against said brush, said parts being combined substantially as described.

4:- The driving shaft H with a conveyer thereon, the head T fixed to said shaft, and the sliding head U loose thereon, the loose sliding power wheel V on said shaft, the levers O with shoes 13 thereon, said head T having the recesses W and projecting lug X, and said head U having the projections Y and openings Z, the lug X being adapted to be engaged by said power wheel, substantially as described.

5. The beam D with the lovers L and yoke F, the bag-supporting cylinder G on said yoke, and stopping mechanism of the driving shaft adapted to be engaged by the saddle E, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for mixing, weighing and packing flour, a frame, a conveyor, a power wheel with clutch members on the conveyer shaft, a weighing device having the pivoted beam D, the levers L with projections M, N, the levers O pivoted to the frame and having the inclined shoes B engaging a lug Y on the loose member of the clutch mechanism, said parts being combined substantially as described.

7. The lever L with lateral extensions M and lugs N, the lovers 0 and the power wheel V, and the heads T and II on the driving shaft, said wheelVand head U being laterally movable on said shaft, and said head T being fixed on said shaft and provided with the lug X, in combination with the bag-carrying beam D and, the saddle E on the frame of the machine said saddle being adapted to engage with said lugs N, for operating said levers O, and thus operating also the stopping mechanism of said driving shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for mixing, weighing and packingflour,aframe,ahoppermounted'thereon, a conveyer in said hopper, a chute adjacent to said hopper, a sieve between said chute and hopper, a brush loosely mounted on said conveyer or shaft, and in contact with said sieve, an arm secured to said shaft and bearing against said brush, and a wiper on said shaft and in contact with the opposite side of said sieve from said brush, said parts being combined substantially as described.

9. In a machine for mixing, weighing and.

erated by the movements of a beam of the 10 Weighin g device for operating said levers having the shoes thereon, said parts being combined substantially as described.

SAXTON TIGE AYRES.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERsHEIM, R. H. GRAESER. 

